It was not its appearance that made the house at 14 East Williams Street in Waterloo, New York exceptional. In mid-19th century America, after all, there were thousands of two-story brick homes with a white front door and chimneys at either end.

Instead, the M'Clintock House came to occupy a prominent place in American history because of the people who lived inside its walls and in the surrounding community. On July 16, 1848, five women, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, met here to draft what they called the "Declaration of Sentiments." This document outlined their views on and complaints about the role of women in society. Two days later, in nearby Seneca Falls, it served as the centerpiece of discussion when these women carried out their ambitious plan to convene America's First Women's Rights Convention.